There are many known composite structures which comprise a fiber reinforced matrix material. A known fiber reinforced composite structure comprises a matrix material having chopped pieces of fiber dispersed therein. The chopped pieces of fiber are typically randomly located or semi-aligned in the matrix material.
Another known fiber reinforced composite structure comprises a laminated stack of layers of a matrix material containing linearly oriented fibers. The fibers within each layer have only one direction of orientation. However, the direction of orientation of the fibers in one layer may be at a different angle relative to the direction of orientation of the fibers in an adjacent layer.
A disadvantage of a laminated stack of layers of a matrix material containing linearly oriented fibers is that there is no fiber reinforcement in a direction perpendicular to the layers. A known way to strengthen the fibers in the direction perpendicular to the layers is to stitch the layers together. A disadvantage in stitching the layers together is that the stitching process is labor and equipment intensive.
Also, known fiber reinforced composite structures are made from knitted fibers and woven fibers which form a three-dimensional structure. However, the making of these composite structures is also labor and equipment intensive.